Sep 4, 2013

The EXPENDABLES TRILOGY and BEYOND...

EX3 opens next summer and is expected to become the biggest one of the Expendables Trilogy...or is that the biggest Expendables movie yet...

Personally, I don't see why it all has to end with the third film. The concept of these men lends itself to many movies granted the action icons can still run, jump and fall down and look believable doing it.

The Expendables franchise, like the Mission Impossible franchise, should always have a different director each time. It gives each film a different voice. The first film was directed by the creator of this entire 'enterprise' Sylvester Stallone. It was a hard hitting, gritty action film. The second one was directed by Simon 'CON AIR' West. It was a more glossy action film than the first and that is because West shoots his action a little different in style than Sly. The third film is being directed by Patrick Hughes. He is basically a newcomer, but I'm pretty sure his tone will be more in line with what Sly did on the first film and at the same time he will add his own style to make it different and fresh.

Now, I know this might be a little too early discussing a fourth film with the third not yet released, but hey, Sly should know what and who the fans want next time around. So, everyone knows I am a big fan of JOHN WOO and his style of shooting action. If anyone has ever seen the masterpiece known as FACE/OFF they would know what he is capable of. Or better yet buy HARD BOILED or THE KILLER. Those films show what he can do with no studio interferrance. 

I really think Sly should hire Mr. Woo for the next mission and give us an Expendables movie we have yet to see. Aside from John Woo though, here are two other veteran filmmakers and a relative newcomer who I think would bring something good to the table.

Richard Donner - Donner has worked with Sly in the past on ASSASSINS so there is already that connection (also worked with Jet Li and Antonio Banderas). But even more so is the fact that Richard Donner is the director of all four amazing LETHAL WEAPON movies. Those films are so full of energy and great characters that I think he would be a perfect match with the Expendables franchise. And boy does he know how to shoot action scenes. Donner is an old school master and he would be a fine choice.

John McTiernan - McT is right now in prison serving out a sentence for wire-tapping or some such nonsense like that. But by the time he gets out in a year he will need a new start in Hollywood and more importantly he will need a job. The Expendables franchise has been known to help those whos careers are in need. McT could use the film for a stepping stone back into LaLa land and the Expendables franchise could use McT's experience in knowing how to make a great action movie. This is the man afterall who directed PREDATOR, DIE HARD and THE HUNT FOR RED OCTOBER. McTiernan is an old school master and he would be a fine choice.

Gareth Evans - Evans is a newcomer, but if anyone has seen THE RAID they would know he has alot of potential to become the next great action filmmaker. He would do wonders with an Expendables movie. He would be given a large budget and let loose. Maybe another young filmmaker is what we need after Patrick Hughes.

That pretty much covers who should possibly direct the 4th film...as for the cast. Here are some suggestions the fourth time around.

In a recent article over at Yahoo Movies  it reported how Sly reaches out to movie stars he wants to work with. For EX4 maybe we could possibly see...

Leonardo DiCaprio - Sly wanted to work with Leo on Driven. DiCaprio would be great as a bad guy. See BLOOD DIAMOND or DJANGO UNCHAINED.

Russell Crowe - Come on, this guy screams crazy, tough and not to be messed with. Make his character a crazy nut job who does anything to get the job done.

Christian Bale - Another intense actor that would be awesome on the team. A long shot. Maybe have him work with Schwarzenegger, for real this time since SALVATION was no Arnie/Bale collaboration.

Samuel L. Jackson - He could be a go to guy like Bruce Willis's Church. This time have Jackson swear more than Bruce with some juicy lines. We need an old school African American in this sequel.

Al Pacino - Pacino does not act much these days and he has joked about being in one of these films. Lets hope that joke becomes a reality and he appears in the next one as a crazy bad guy.

Kiefer Sutherland - He is Jack Bauer! Nuff said!

Gerard Butler - With 300 and now Olympus Has Fallen he has proven he is great in action.

Clint Eastwood - A cameo from Clint is a must. Maybe have him say "punk" while we are at it.

Bolo Young - Bolo is as bad ass as it gets (Double Impact and Bloodsport anyone).

Kurt Russell - He said yes to Fast 7 and he seems to want to work in films again.

Jackie Chan - A legend such as Chan must be an expendable. It's Jackie Chan for crying out loud!

Nicolas Cage - If he can channel his inner 'Castor Troy' he needs to play a bad guy.

Donnie Yen - A legend in the martial arts and a real life tough guy.

Steven Seagal - He still needs to be in this franchise to make it complete. He would make a solid bad guy.

What do you guys think, do you like my suggestions?

29 comments:

  1. Great post! Except for wanting DiCaprio......

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  2. Can't see Donner directing anymore. His last movie was 2006 (16 Blocks) with Bruce Willis. Great post indeed but please NO LEO and NO BALE! Both great actors but not in an Expendables way....

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  3. As Directors I would suggest:

    - John Hyams (Universal Soldier Day of Reckoning)
    - Gareth Evans (The Raid)
    - and in brackets Nicolas Winding Refn

    As Actors I would suggest:

    - Keanu Reeves
    - Yun-Fat Chow
    - Andrei Arlovski
    - Michael Dudikoff & David Bradley (American Ninja)
    - Loren Avedon
    - Mads Mikkelsen (as Bad Guy)

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  4. I would like to see Michael Jai White and Lorenzo Lamas

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  5. Kurt Russell is in talks to join F&F7. So nothing is confirmed yet.
    I don't think Crow, Jackson, Bale or DiCaprio are interested in this kind of pure old-school action movie. They are some of the big names that appear on every movie's casting wish-list. And that's what they are: big names, not action guys tho.

    I think there are other, more fitting, actors, like Gerard Butler.
    And then we have plenty of asian actors. Jackie Chan, Sammo Hung, Donnie Yen and others from china. Tony Jaa and maybe Jeeja Yanin from thailand. Joe Taslim from indonesia(who has been in F&F6). And then you have the acclaimed japanese and korean market, but I'm not that familiar with them.

    As for the director:
    Donner is retired. I don't see why the director should change, if Patrick Hughes does a good job.

    But given the amount of potential actors from asia and the quality of their movies, they could go with an asian director. Some of the best action movies in the last 5 years, that I have seen, came from china.

    Move everything to china! That's a sure way to get Jackie Chan and Jet Li involved.
    I might write a more fleshed out version for the blog.

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    1. Good post, Robin. I think filming EX4 in China would be amazing.

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  6. For a 4 Installament I want McTiernan, Peter Hyams, John Hyams or Renny Harlin as director
    In the cast: Kurt Russell, Christopher Lambert, Kiefer Sutherland, Al Pacino or Steven Seagal... and why not Bob De Niro or Travolta as the main villain...Di Caprio, Crowe, Bale and Jackson are too expensive. Anyway I doubt Sly continue the franchise after the third

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  7. Thanks for the feedback guys! Good idea about moving the production to China. It would make sense. I forgot to add Eastwood, Sutherland and Butler to my list...I will edit and update! And great idea with Gareth Evans! I loved The Raid.

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  8. who gives a rats ass about this crap. writ summit decent and keep the updates coming! i dont care who could have been in it etc etc. all that matters is that there filmin the best god damn action film ever and it has arnie in it :)

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  9. John Woo is #1 choice for EX4 as director

    also the actors should be

    Jackie Chan, Steven Seagal, Michael biehn, Bruce Campbell, Samuel Jackson, Danny Glover, The Rock, Vin Diesel, Gerald Butler

    christian bale is a stupid loser who bashed Schwarzenegger while making the putrid pg13 trash called Terminator 4

    dicaprio is a girly man

    crowe NO bale NO

    Sutherland maybe

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  10. I don't know who I would want in EX4, if there is even going to be another one. Word around the set is that Sly was always just wanted this series as a trilogy. But who knows.

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  11. Well, personally, I still want Eastwood, Chan, Russell, and The Rock.

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  12. Seagal for EX4

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  13. Steven Seagal? No thanks.

    You guys are really on some kind of drug if you think he is a worthy addition.

    Maybe if he lost 100 pounds or something.

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  14. I think they should stop the franchise after EX3. Seagal and Chan are the only missing action stars that have not appeared in the franchise but they have both been given their chance many times by Sly and refused every time for stupid reasons, it's probably their huge ego getting on the way, so I wont count on them anymore. To me the franchise is complete after EX3. All the other actors in the post don't belong to this franchise. Bale, DiCaprio or Sutherland, please, give me a break!!!

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  15. Why the hell would they confirm Jackie Chan, Steven Seagal, and Mickey Rouke, if there not going to be in the Expendables 3? That's like Stallone saying he will make a new rambo film but it doesn't happen.

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  16. If a fourth installment of the franchise were to happen; I would add Dwayne Johnson, Vin Diesel, Nicolas Cage, Jackie Chan, Steven Seagal, Kurt Russell, Milla Jovovich, Donnie Yen and Clint Eastwood with John McTiernan as the director.

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    1. Travis, all those guys were asked....and all refused or never closed the deal. The Rock makes $20 Million a film, so he is above what they will probably be able to pay. McTiernan is in prison, but might be out in a year.

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  17. I want Carl Weathers, Bill Duke(maybe as a suit guy) and Kurt Russel.

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  18. I want Carl Weathers, Bill Duke(maybe as a suit guy) and Kurt Russel.

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  19. I want Carl Weathers, Bill Duke(maybe as a suit guy) and Kurt Russel.

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  20. I want John Woo and Dwayne Johnson for "EX4"

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  21. Bruce Willis (back to war in EX4)
    jean Claude Van Damme (Vendetta EX4)
    Thomas Jane
    Nicolas Cage
    John Travolta
    Robert De Niro
    Al pacino
    VIn Diesel
    The Rock
    Christopher Lambert
    James Remar
    Kim Coates
    Tom Burke
    Carry Tagawa (Shang Tsung from MK movie)
    Marck Dacascos
    Marko Zaror
    Dany Trejo
    Hulk Rogan
    The Undertaker
    BIG T
    Tricky
    Gary Oldman
    Jckie Chan
    Donnie yien
    jack wu jing
    Tonny jaa
    Robin Shou
    Danny glover
    Bill paxton
    Bill Duke
    Liam neeson
    ...
    nice list

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  23. My casting and story tip for EX4 would be of having the usual surviving Expendables from the previous movie and now also a different type of villain - the type of villain that we have seen before in the genre movies of the 70s and 80s classics from Scorcese and Copolla -

    I would go for a legendary cast that includes:

    Robert DeNiro
    Al Pacino
    Jack Nicholson
    Ray Liota
    Robert Duvall
    James Caan
    Andy Garcia
    Kevin Costner

    It would be about a bunch of gangster bad boys running a prostitution and smuggling business from Miami to Moscow -

    The Expendables (Sly, Arnie, Ford, etc) get involved in the action when one of their female friends/family get caught up with this prostitution gang and is whisked away to a country far away -

    The Expendables give chase and along the way we meet Jackie Chan a Chinese special forces Commando/investigator who is after the Russion side of this mobster ring.

    The action would be intense indoors this time and also take place on a train aswell ala Die Hard aswell as some exhilarating external action sequences on an old army bunker in the mountains. With some vertical action ala Cliffhanger.

    My choice of Director any of the following:

    John Woo
    Renny Harlin
    Robert Rodriguez
    Mel Gibson
    Brian DePalma
    Jackie Chan

    It would still have the humour of the previous movies but perhaps a darker punchline in the story and theme. Come on who would like to see Arnie kicking the crap out of bad boy Pacino in a true battle of good versus evil?

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